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Youngsters are learning coding
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Vol. 71 No. 6
FEBRUARY 2 - 8, 2023
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Full STEAM ahead for kids District elementary students take part in innovate class getting into their ear about their future,” Humphrey said. “Some of the kids statistically are going From robotics to engineering to be coders, and some of them and coding, elementary schools are going to be engineers, but we in Wantagh are finding innova- are just trying to give them 21sttive new ways to get students century skills that we didn’t get.” engaged in learning through Wantagh Elementary third, STEAM classes. fourth and fifth graders all comSTEAM stands for science, plete a prototype project in the technolo g y, engifall, going through neering, ar t and the engineering and mathematics, and design process, makthe program focuses ing their own indion project-based vidual projects, and learning and taking i m p r ov i n g t h e m an in-depth look into along the way. Stua variety of topics. dents end up devisLeading the way ing advertisements for Wantagh stufor their projects so d e n t s a r e t h e i r AlExA DEl they could really see STEAM teachers, a potential job for PiANo Kaitlin Humphrey them in the future. and Alexa Del Piano. teacher, The STEAM class Del Piano is serving Forest Lake is not only designed her second year as a Elementary School to get students to STEAM teacher at d e ve l o p c r i t i c a l Forest Lake Elementhinking skills but tary School and she also teaches also to make them excited to be at Mandalay Elementary School. in school, educators said. Humphrey, a K-5 teacher at “A lot of them get a little disWantagh Elementary School and couraged in the classroom, espea STEAM teacher for seven cially learners who struggle, years, said she encourages her they tend to do really well here,” students to think about the skills Humphrey said. they could use outside the classE ve r y t h i n g w i t h i n t h e room. STEAM class is hands-on, from “A lot of this class is about me Continued on page 4
By KEPHERD DANiEl kdaniel@liherald.com
t
Michael MalaszczykHerald
KAtiE SAVAgE, FAR left, a Wantagh cheer coach, with senior captains Emily Drago, Jessica Balkunas and Ava Lombardo, and coach Jaclyn Bonlarron. All are heading to nationals in Florida.
Three cheers for local cheer Wantagh joins Levittown, Seaford at nationals By MiCHAEl MAlASZCZYK mmalaszczyk@liherald.com
Wantagh High School’s cheerleading team has earned a bid to the national cheerleading competition in Florida later this month. It’s another feather in the cap of the greater Wantagh-Seaford area — Seaford High School’s cheer team also will be going to nationals, as will MacArthur High School’s team. “This is the first year that we’re going from the small to medium division — the first time in Wantagh history,” Jaclyn Bonlarron, one of the coaches for the team, said. “We got our choreography in the fall, and the girls have
been working on their routine since.” Wantagh’s cheer team had to work extra hard this year, since the football team had a successful season. Their time performing at football games overlapped with cheer competitions, so they had to do both. As well, they took part in “Operation Christmas Child,” a charity toy drive spearheaded by cheerleader Kayla Spisto. Cheerleading is a year-round sport, with the cheerleaders practicing in the offseason — spring and summer — at gyms outside of school to hold on to their form. August is when tryouts start. In addition to performing at football games, they prepare for competition. Continued on page 19
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